Every year, businesses spend hundreds of hours developing and implementing their marketing initiatives. Helping your clients plan their strategies not only helps them achieve their goals but also reinforces the value of their partnership with you. Your role as a marketing agency — to help plan effective marketing campaigns — will be more valuable using these four tips.
Know your audience
Have you ever purchased a vehicle that wasn’t right for the job? For example, let’s say you needed to tow a “fifth wheel” camper. Buying a base model F150, Silverado, or Ram 1500 won’t quite get the job done. You need to know the specs of both your tool (in this case, the truck) as well as the product (the camper).
Following so far? How does this apply to marketing? That’s easy: knowing the specs of your vehicle is akin to knowing the characteristics of your audience. Many companies “know” their target audience. Yet, when they walk through the process of reviewing those target audiences with a marketing agency, it often reveals new or minor details. Those overlooked items can help plan effective marketing campaigns.
Likewise, not every client is a good fit for your brand. Knowing the specifics of your ideal customer is just as important as helping your clients understand theirs.
Define your goals
All companies want to grow. Setting goals around growth, whether revenue-driven or accomplishment-focused, helps to lay out a path to success.
However, to help plan effective marketing campaigns, your goals should be S.M.A.R.T. In other words, any goal should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.
So, whether you’re helping your clients or developing your own S.M.A.R.T. goals, the key is ensuring it aligns with a S.M.A.R.T. goal framework. Then, you can take the next step in helping to plan more effective marketing campaigns.
Create a content calendar
If you notice, we’re following a step-by-step pattern here. First, you need to know your audience. Second, you need to develop goals.
With those two pieces in place, you can then take the next step: developing a content calendar.
Much of what we’ll talk about with this tip is focused on digital marketing, though traditional marketing methods can likewise benefit from having a content calendar. For example, within a content calendar, you’ll produce ideas that encourage your potential customer along the Buyers Journey. This includes content that informs, builds trust, and asks them to make a buying decision.
However, your calendar should be strategic, utilizing keyword research (which we can help you with). Simply releasing content without any thought behind it, whether via TV commercials, social media, or on your website, is akin to slapping a coat of paint on the wall and merely hoping it matches your room’s decor.
Revise, revise, revise
The final tip to planning effective marketing campaigns is to be willing to revise as necessary. Sometimes, the ideas you come up with will be stellar. Other times, they may not be as effective. Regardless of the outcome, don’t be afraid to try something new or creative. It may end up being the secret sauce to achieving those previously stated S.M.A.R.T. goals.